Video display apparatus, particularly hand-held, portable, computer-based video display apparatus, such as the video display game known Game Boy.TM. (a trademark of Nintendo of America, Inc.) are in wide use. Such video display apparatus typically comprise a housing which include and support a video display screen, such as an LCD screen for external viewing by the user. Video display apparatus typically also include various means, such as levers, buttons and knobs on the housing to enable a video operator to manipulate the controls with one hand while holding the video display apparatus in the other hand.
One disadvantage to many of the hand-held, portable video display apparatus, such as the Game Boy.TM. video display apparatus, is the small size of the video display screen, which typically may range from five to ten square inches and generally are flat and rectangular display screens. In addition, displayed on the display screen are often small sized figures, characters, words, letters or instructions, which are often difficult to see, and therefore affects the efficiency and pleasure of the operation of the video display apparatus. It is therefore desirable to provide for effective means to improve the visibility of the video display, particularly in a portable, hand-held video display apparatus so as to enhance the ability of the operator to observe the indicia on the display screen and operate and play the game.
One magnifying device for use with hand-held video display apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,935, issued Feb. 12, 1991. Such magnifying device includes a fixed frame which is slidably and releasably mounted on the video display housing, and which has a magnifier-type lens adapted to overlie the video display and effect magnification of the video display during operation. The magnifier lens is placed in a fixed position in a frame within the magnifying device.
A magnifier for a liquid crystal display TV apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,819 issued Apr. 17, 1984, wherein a lens is pivotably mounted on a support which support is pivotably mounted at the other end to the TV housing and not releasably secured to the housing or adjustable for lateral movement on the housing to a fixed position.
It is desirable to provide for an efficient, easily mountable and dismountable, portable, simple magnifier apparatus, particularly for use with portable, hand-held video display apparatus to enhance the visibility of the display screen.